A Picnic for Two
by bri-notthecheese
Summary: It is the evening before the battle in Ealdor, and Hunith decides to persuade Merlin to spend more time with Morgana by taking her on a picnic. What will this mean for the two of them?


**Hello lovelies! This is a one-shot about what could have happened in Ealdor. It's my first romance fic that I've written! Enjoy!**

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Merlin sat at the kitchen table, chopping onions for his mother. She was throwing together a big pot of stew for the men who've been training with Arthur all day. The women of the village had all chipped in for today's supper, bringing over meats and various vegetables to add; as it was the last big meal they were going to eat before the battle tomorrow. Merlin noticed Hunith was stirring a bit frantically and got up to put his hands on her shoulders. She relaxed a little from his touch, but continued stirring quickly.

"It'll be fine, Mother. I promise. Arthur's going to have them all in top shape and they'll be ready for tomorrow. You'll see."

"I certainly hope so, my son," she sighed.

"Don't worry." He kissed her cheek and returned to the onions. Merlin and his mother continued their chores in silence, hearing the muffled sounds of swordplay outside. He hoped he was telling her the truth. The men had greatly improved their fighting skills and capabilities in the time that they'd been here, but compared to the trained warriors they would be facing, their chances were slim. After a few moments, Hunith spoke up.

"Merlin, who is that girl that came with you? The dark haired one who is helping to teach the women how to use a sword."

Merlin furrowed his eyebrows, trying to figure out if she was talking about Gwen or Morgana.

"The one I keep catching you smiling at?"

Ah.

Morgana.

"Her name's Morgana. She's the King's Ward, actually. It was her idea to come here and help. It was really kind…" he trailed off, remembering how adamant she had been in coming here with him. "What about her?" he tried asking nonchalantly, still picturing her emerald eyes and ebony hair.

"Nothing, really. I had just noticed she caught your eye. Are you two good friends then?" Hunith asked, amused.

Contemplating the question, Merlin paused. He had always considered her a friend, especially after the Druid boy incident. But did she see him that way? She must have, since she was willing to risk getting in trouble with Uther for coming, or worse, become injured during the battle. Merlin smiled that he, the prince's manservant, and the King's Ward had formed such an unlikely friendship. Catching the smile, Hunith chuckled and sat down across from Merlin.

"I take that as a yes?" Merlin nodded, and she continued. "Is that all you two are?"

Merlin's eyes widened. "Of course!" he spluttered, suddenly finding the onions very interesting. Of course they were only friends. Of course.

Of course, Merlin would also be lying if he said that he had never thought about it before. She was beautiful, smart, and extremely kind. She was also stubborn and portrayed extreme loyalty and ferocity when she fought for the people she cared about. His heart still dwelled on how brave she was when she took his place in order to get the Druid boy out of the castle. But, she was the King's Ward and he was still just a servant.

_Maybe one day._

Merlin looked up and saw his mom staring at him, eyes full of compassion and understanding. Merlin gave her a smile, but she could see the sadness in his eyes. Reaching across the table, she laid her hand on his.

"Merlin," she began hesitantly, trying to find the right words to say. "You know how cautious I am around things that could cause trouble. But just this once, while you are both here away from Camelot, you could try to spend some time with her? I can see how you feel about her, and maybe this isn't such a good idea. But you may not have another chance like this again."

Even though it wasn't spoken, Merlin knew she was implying that something may go wrong tomorrow, in addition to the dangers of trying to have a relationship in Camelot. Nodding slowly, he asked.

"But what should I even do? Everyone's busy preparing. Besides, I don't even know if she'll want to."

"I think she will. Call it a woman's intuition," Hunith smiled. "And everyone needs to eat. Why not grab some food, a blanket, and invite her to eat with you just outside the village on the small slopes?"

Merlin's eyes lit up at her suggestion. He agreed, and hastily finished chopping the remaining onions while Hunith packed them a bit of cheese, some apples, and salted pork. Topping it off with two rolls, she handed the pack to Merlin. Wishing him luck, she ushered him out the door. Merlin strolled through Ealdor, searching for one particular dark-haired beauty. He passed the group of men that had been training with Arthur today, eagerly anticipating their supper. Turning the corner of his neighbor's house, he spied her closing the door to the barn where they were keeping the weapons. Taking a deep breath, he walked over to meet her and tripped over his feet twice.

Morgana glanced over and smiled at him, eyes twinkling.

"Merlin!"

"My lady," Merlin nodded. He went to continue, but the words got caught in his throat, so he ended up looking everywhere but Morgana. He began fidgeting with the pack, desperately trying to find the words to say. Morgana noticed, and she gently placed a hand on his arm.

"Merlin, is something wrong? What's the pack for?"

"Nothing's the matter, milady. Uhm, and this pack is for carrying the food," he internally slapped himself. Could he sound any more like a fool? Luckily, Morgana didn't seem to care and was still smiling at him.

"What food? Is it a secret?" she teased.

"No, uhm- actually, I-uh, was wondering if you maybe wanted to-if you don't that's fine, but if you wanted to come share this with me?"

The last bit had come out rushed, and Morgana had to think for a moment before everything he said registered. Her smile turned into a beam and amusement danced in her eyes. "Are you asking me to a picnic, Merlin?"

"Yes, uh-that is, if you'd like. The view from the top of the hills is beautiful at this time of day, with the sun setting and all. And the weather-" he stopped himself from rambling and decided to just go for it, offering his arm. "Would you care to join me?"

Morgana nodded once, still smiling as she took his arm. They blithely walked towards the hills, chatting and laughing with one another. Merlin was in complete bliss. He couldn't believe he had Morgana on his arm right now and they were going to be sharing a meal together. He hadn't really even realized the depth of his feelings until this point and was a bit uncertain what this could do to him in the future. But for now, he pushed those thoughts aside and just relished spending time with her.

They reached the tops of the hills as the sun was beginning to paint the sky with shades of orange, pink, and gold. Merlin slid his jacket off and laid it down for her to sit on. They opened up the wrapped food and dug in. They discussed the day's trainings and talked about how everyone has been working really hard.

"Do you think they stand a chance? I know they've greatly improved from what they were, but these men sound barbaric," Morgana voiced her concern.

"I know. I'm honestly not sure how great our chances are. But we just have to try. I don't want to see anyone else suffer. My mum's gone through enough…"

"She's a strong woman, Merlin. I can see where you get it from."

Merlin looked up at her with surprise. Morgana gazed back, her eyes full of kindness mixed with something else that he couldn't quite decipher.

"You know, she was the one who actually suggested this. It was her idea."

"Are you saying you wouldn't have asked me otherwise?" Merlin knew she was teasing him, but he still felt a bit sheepish. "I should thank her though. I'm really glad we got to do this and get away from everyone and everything and just be ourselves, without titles or any of that other nonsense. And no matter what happens tomorrow or back at Camelot, we can always have this to remember."

With that, she leaned over and kissed him. Merlin stiffened for a moment, utterly surprised at her advance, but quickly relaxed into the kiss. It was a chaste kiss and lasted only for a few moments, but as they pulled apart, his heart was threatening to burst from his chest. Smiling, he opened his eyes and found her grinning back at him. She scooted over and laid her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her and they watched the sun sink further into the horizon, the skies changing to darker hues.

Before the sun disappeared completely, they packed up the remaining food and walked back, arm in arm. Later that night, Arthur gave an inspiring speech to instill hope within the villagers. Everyone cheered when he finished, and Merlin caught Morgana's eye. He smiled and her and she laughed, cheering with the villagers.

The battle was won. It was not, however, without its loses. Merlin lost his best friend Will, who not only saved Arthur's life, but protected Merlin's as well by claiming he was the sorcerer who conjured up the wind storm. After Will's funeral, Morgana had found him and pulled him into a big hug, rubbing his back reassuringly.

Packing up, Merlin found his mother and bid his farewells, thanking her for everything. Morgana embraced her, and whispered her thanks into Hunith's ear. The four of them rode back to Camelot and Merlin told himself that despite whatever happens, he would look after Morgana and keep her safe.

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**I hope you guys liked it! If so, lemme know what you think! If you didn't like it, tell my why! I love feedback! Thanks!**


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